Inspired Enterprise
How NASA, the Smithsonian, and the Aerospace Community Helped Launch Star Trek
Published on 15. September 2025
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-7643-6936-0 (ISBN)
Description
Discover how NASA, the Smithsonian, and the aerospace community helped craft, legitimize, and popularize the beloved television show Star Trek.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry sought to create a work of science fiction that would immerse viewers not only through clever storylines and modern visual effects, but also by presenting the story in a scientific and technological context that felt believable. To this end, Roddenberry, a former WWII combat pilot, used his connections in the aerospace industry to seek out the latest and greatest technology.
This book, authored by Glen E. Swanson, former chief historian at the NASA Johnson Space Center, uncovers the story of how NASA, the Smithsonian, and the aerospace industry helped craft, legitimize, and popularize the beloved television show Star Trek. Further context is provided through the discussion of additional factors behind the success of the show, including merchandising and syndication.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry sought to create a work of science fiction that would immerse viewers not only through clever storylines and modern visual effects, but also by presenting the story in a scientific and technological context that felt believable. To this end, Roddenberry, a former WWII combat pilot, used his connections in the aerospace industry to seek out the latest and greatest technology.
This book, authored by Glen E. Swanson, former chief historian at the NASA Johnson Space Center, uncovers the story of how NASA, the Smithsonian, and the aerospace industry helped craft, legitimize, and popularize the beloved television show Star Trek. Further context is provided through the discussion of additional factors behind the success of the show, including merchandising and syndication.
Reviews / Votes
"Inspired Enterprise is an amazing book. It helps us understand what gave Star Trek its ability to miraculously convince. You wouldn't believe how many astronauts, scientists, engineers, and Hollywood designers told me that while growing up, Star Trek got them to thinking. This was the lynchpin." -- Doug Drexler, Oscar winning visual effects artist "A deep dive into the development of my favorite television show AND my favorite starship. Glen Swanson's detailed research sheds new light onto numerous hitherto-unsung contributions - large and small - to Star Trek's early development. In the process, he provides fascinating details and explodes a few myths." -- Michael Okuda, Lead graphic designer, Star Trek "Required reading for any serious Original Trek fan. It illuminates what we learned from the original "Making of Star Trek" book, and dives deeper into the how's and why's that went into the creation of our favorite Starship with new stories and participants. It boldly goes there, thankfully." -- Daren R. Dochterman, Inglorious Treksperts podcast "I've long observed and described the "mutual love affair" between NASA and Star Trek, with the heroes of space fact and the heroes of space fiction - both the famous faces and their just as talented "support crews." Now Glen Swanson has put date, quote, verse and scripture to that amazing symbiosis with hours spent in research I can only envy. But here we are, only too glad to enjoy the fruits of Glen's detailed and fun-loving labors. He has completely swiped my mantra of not just tweaking around the same-o, same-o of the Star Trek history we know, but digging into original research docs and first- hand witnesses. What a story!" -- Larry "Dr. Trek" Nemecek "Informed by archival research, Swanson takes a unique approach to a well-documented show. Fans will find it fascinating, especially fans of the 1966-69 original series." -- Library JournalMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
135 color and b/w photos
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
836 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7643-6936-0 (9780764369360)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Glen E. Swanson
Inspired Enterprise
How NASA, the Smithsonian, and the Aerospace Community Helped Launch Star Trek
E-Book
08/2025
Schiffer
€18.18
Available for download
Persons
Glen Swanson discovered the connection between NASA and Star Trek during his time as chief historian at the Johnson Space Center, a position he held from 1998 to 2002. He is also the founder of Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, the world's only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the history of spaceflight, which has been in continuous publication for more than 30 years. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.